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Bank Of America Investment Halfway through a 250-mile drive in the 2004 Prius, I pulled into a gas station here - not because the hybrid gasoline-electric car was low on fuel, but because I was eager to top off the tank and make some mileage calculations.

Toyota, which announced a 50% electric hybrid sedan, Prius, earlier this week is considered a strong player in the Asian market and may outperform US auto makers there.

Investment Opportunity The new Prius quickly caught the eye of Dennis Reed, who was filling the tank of his wife's Mercedes-Benz ML430 sport utility. As he looked over my test car, Mr. Reed said that although he had little interest in the previous, smaller Prius, he liked the larger size and sophisticated look of the second-generation hybrid sedan. "I could spring for this one," he said.

New car against the Toyota Prius. In this reporter to a Gao Jian, Honda revealed the details of its forthcoming early next year launch a hybrid car for the many details. According to analysis, this new car will be Honda and Toyota in global sales have broken the 1 million hybrid Prius direct competition. Honda said, is currently developing a new, dedicated hybrid cars, designed five compact sedan, a compact size, design and the adoption of a new generation of fuel cell vehicles “FCXClarity” the same The design concept.

Banc Of America Investment Toyota executives are hoping to hear a lot of similar reactions when the redesigned Prius goes on sale in mid-October at $19,995 - a price that has not changed since the first version was introduced in the United States in 2000. Only the destination charge has increased, giving the base model a sticker of $20,480.

Sixt rent a car is helping fleets stay green and avoid the congestion charge by adding the Toyota Prius to its fleet of vehicles for Central London. Hailed as the world's most successful hybrid power car, the Toyota Prius meets the increasing demand for low emission cars from those looking to reduce their carbon footprint. The vehicle is exempt from the London congestion charge and is now available at Sixt locations across the capital.

Banking Investment The early Prius was obviously an economy car, with eccentric styling, mediocre driving dynamics and a tighter cabin than the less expensive Corolla. Yet while it was impractical for many one-car families, it became a cult car in Hollywood, earning places in the driveways of celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ed Begley Jr. - it even has a regular role on HBO as Larry David's daily driver in "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

One of the newest in the batch 2007 hybrid car line up is the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid, the third in Toyota’s Hybrid vehicles. cylinder engine. Although it is not as fuel efficient as the first Toyota hybrid, the Prius, the Camry hybrid is a whole lot better than the regular Camry.

Investment Solution Strategic Having grown five inches in length, the new Prius is closer in size to the compact Corolla, yet it has more rear legroom than the midsize Camry. It is also more powerful and more fuel-efficient than the old Prius, Toyota says, and its emissions have been cut by nearly 30 percent.

The Prius is currently the top selling hybrid vehicle today, especially in North America where concerns about the rising gasoline prices and the effect of vehicle emissions to the climate are now decisive factors when buying a new car. Last June, Toyota has announced that it will double the number of hybrid cars in its model lineup. Currently, there are seven Toyota models with the hybrid system. Toyota expects to sell a million Prius cars annually soon after 2010.

Investment Banking Services With its larger cabin, the Prius is now classified as a midsize car by the Environmental Protection Agency, albeit at the lower end of the midsize range. The interior looks classier; it manages to be both elegant and a bit futuristic. Cargo space is notably larger, since the car has been transformed from a sedan with a small trunk into a hatchback that can hold 16.1 cubic feet with the back seat in use (or nearly 39 cubic feet with the seat folded).

Bank Investment The Prius's most important parts are largely hidden. The car runs on Toyota's second-generation hybrid-drive system and its third generation of hybrid-battery technology. While many carmakers have boasted of their grand plans for hybrid technology - and have occasionally backtracked by postponing or canceling vehicles they once promised -Toyota and Honda are still the only companies that have actual hybrid cars for sale. (Honda offers the Insight two-seater and a hybrid version of its Civic compact.)

Alternative Investment These hybrids combine a small gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor; unlike electric cars, they need not be plugged in for recharging. Energy generated by braking or coasting is captured to recharge the batteries that power the electric motor. The motor supplements the gas engine when more power is needed, as when merging onto a highway.

Online Investment Services An "idle off" feature shuts down the gas engine when the car stops (at a red light, for instance) and restarts it automatically when the driver presses the gas pedal.

Accompany Essential Investment Unlike the Insight or Civic Hybrid, the Prius can run on its electric motor and battery alone. The Hondas are "mild hybrids," because they use their gas engines, to some extent, at all times.

Investment Company The Prius moves out on battery power, with the 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine turning itself on and off according to the driver's needs. While that may sound alarming, it is mostly imperceptible.

Investment Management Solution Toyota has improved its system so that the Prius can operate more often on electricity only, in stop-and-go city driving. (Hence the gains in gas mileage and emissions.) But you have to keep a very light foot on the throttle to keep the gas engine from cutting in.

Investment Management Services Because the Prius relies more on the electric motor around town, and the gas engine at speed, its fuel economy figures are higher for city driving than for the highway - the opposite of most cars. The Environmental Protection Agency's preliminary fuel economy ratings for the Prius - which comes only with a continuously variable automatic transmission - are 59 m.p.g. in town and 51 m.p.g. on the highway. The '03 Prius was rated at 52 in town and 45 on the highway.

Guide Investment Stock Although the 1.5-liter engine was carried over from the old model, it is a bit more powerful, with 76 horsepower (at 5,000 r.p.m.), up from 70. The electric motor is also more powerful, producing 67 horsepower from 1,200 to 1,540 r.p.m. and peak torque of 295 pounds-feet from zero to 1,200 r.p.m. That compares with 44 horsepower and 258 pounds-feet for the previous model.

Investment Manual Solution While this doesn't seem like a lot, the 2,890-pound Prius is hardly underpowered, even when merging into fast-moving California freeway traffic. It takes 10 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 m.p.g., Toyota says, a reduction of 2.7 seconds.

Investment Stock The continuously variable transmission always operates at peak efficiency, because it can shift at any point instead of at a few fixed points - first, second, third, etc. In contrast to other CVT's, this one is electric. Instead of using belts and pulleys, it employs planetary gears and varying generator speeds.

Essential Investment Solution Most of the time the Prius operates seamlessly, with the driver unaware of the comings and goings of the gas engine and electric motor. The exception comes under hard acceleration; when you stomp on the accelerator, the gas engine becomes raucous.

Citicorp Investment Services Much of the new Prius works electronically - the accelerator and gear shifter, for example - but Toyota engineers did an excellent job of making it feel like a normal car and not a spaceship.

Fool Guide Investment Motley Still, no other Toyota drives quite like this one. Instead of twisting a key in the ignition, the keyless remote fits into an ignition slot, much like the one on a new Mercedes. You just put your foot on the brake and press the start button. Rather than the usual gearshift lever, there is a stubby joystick that you tap to go from drive to reverse to neutral. With ample power and nicely weighted steering, this green machine is surprisingly fun. Near Ojai, where the road jogs repeatedly from left to right, the Prius handled the transitions without excessive body lean or delay. The ride was good, too, but the engine's drone under even moderate acceleration became a bit tiresome, because the car was otherwise so quiet.

Fidelity Investment Services While the Prius's fuel economy is impressive, I couldn't match the E.P.A. estimates on my drive from Pasadena to Santa Barbara and back, a trip that included freeway stretches, two-lane mountain roads and 11 stop-and-go miles in town.

Investment Management Driving normally, without making any special effort to stretch the gas supply, I used 5.120 gallons and averaged 48.1 m.p.g. While that fell short of the E.P.A.'s combined city-highway rating of 55 m.p.g., it was impressive compared with the combined rating of 26 m.p.g. for a four-cylinder Camry.

Francisco Investment San On Internet chat rooms, owners of the first-generation Prius trade boasts and complaints about their mileage. Some say they are getting 50 m.p.g. and offer tips to others. Some say their mileage is closer to 30 m.p.g., and ask, "Am I doing something wrong?" But even conventional gasoline-powered cars often do not reach their E.P.A. estimates.

Mellon Investment Services I based my calculations on the amount of fuel used, compared with the mileage covered. But a screen on the dashboard that shows real-time gas consumption and energy use sometimes registered better mileage than I was getting. Other times, it was too pessimistic.

Finance Investment The Prius is offered in one well-equipped version, with standard air-conditioning; cruise control; antilock brakes; traction control; and power windows, locks and mirrors.

Investment Manual Science The 10 options include side and side-curtain air bags; an antiskid stability control; a navigation system integrated with a Bluetooth wireless, hands-free cellphone connection; and the "smart entry and start" system that lets you unlock and start the car without taking the key out of your pocket or purse. Choosing all these options would add $5,245 to the price.

Investment Advisory Services Whether or not hybrids become truly common, they are surely becoming an alternative to the conventional car. And while automakers other than Honda are still working on their first hybrids, Toyota has moved to the next plateau. "It sounds like Ford and General Motors are moving ahead, but they are four to five years behind the Japanese," said David Friedman, senior engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental advocacy group.

Advice Investment Toyota is not stopping there. In about a year, it will put the first hybrid system in a luxury vehicle when it offers a version of the Lexus RX 330 sport utility wagon. And despite some delays, the domestic automakers are expected to sell hybrid pickups and S.U.V.'s late next year. These new choices, and improvements in hybrid technology, will make it ever easier for those who talk the environmental talk to also walk the environmental walk.

Guide Investment By Cheryl Jensen
New York Times - 8/24/2003

Topic: Transportation

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